Tile positioner, spacer and guide



March 19, 1963 T. w. ROBERG 3,

TILE POSITIONER, SPACER AND GUIDE Filed Aug. 5, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1Fig.

Theodore W. Roberg' gNVEmozz.

March 19, 1963 T. w. ROBERG 3,

TILE POSITIONER, SPACER AND GUIDE Filed Aug- 5. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Theodore W. Roberg INVENTOR.

i rates This invention relates to sub-soil tile assemblies and moreparticularly to a positioner, spacer and guide to facilitate placementof tile and also to form a complete tile line after the tile isinstalled.

An object of the present invention is to provide a spacer for commondrain tile, the spacer material facilitating the application of tile byflexibly connecting the adjacent ends of adjacent tile so that they maybe inserted in a ground opening, passing around bends in an opening andautomatically becoming set in place with a proper junction betweentiles.

Briefly, the spacer in accordance with this invention is constructedof'a flexible root-repellant substance, for instance, bituminous productmaterial commonly used in the building trade or plastic. There are anumber of possible forms of the spacer, one of which is to have thespacer in the form of an open or closed ring with a pair of spaced flapsor panels joined to a segment of the ring and forming oppositely openingpockets to receive the adjacent ends of adjacent tiles. The pocketsaccept these ends of the tiles, and the spacer forms a hinge joint orconnection between adjacent tiles so that the tile line may be bent asit is being applied in an opening in the ground. This has the greatadvantage of reducing digging, and after installation, the tile line issuperior to tile laid in the ordinary way because the junctions of thetiles are positively connected.

There are numerous applications for tile lines constructed and laid witha spacer in accordance with the invention. Any place where ordinary tilelines are desirable or necessary, a line constructed and applied withthe spacers of the invention may be resorted to with greater successthan by using ordinary techniques and ordinary construction methods.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referenceIbeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a spacer in accordance with theinvention.

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the spacer in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a cross-sectional view showing a tile line being placed byusing spacers such as shown in FIG- URE 1.

FEGURE 5 is an elevational view of a modified form of the spacer.

In the accompanying drawings reference is first made to FEGURE 4. Asub-soil tunnel is shown with a branch opening 12 at the surface of thesoil and joining the sub-soil tunnel. Tile line 14 is being inserted intunnel it) by way of opening or inlet passage 12. The tile line is madeof a plurality of drain tile sections 16 joined together at the adjacentends by spacers 18. Although the spacers 18 are termed spacers forbrevity they are actually positioners and guides for the tile.

Spacer 13 includes a closed spacer ring 25 less deformable because ofits shape in an axial direction than in a radial direction, made ofplastic or bituminous material containing an appreciable percentage ofbituminous substance such as commonly used in the building trade.

. the adjacent ends of adjacent tiles, said panels extending 3,b8l,599Patented Mar. 19, 1953 ICQ For instance, asphalt may 'be a predominantpart of spacer 18.

Ring 2t) has a pair of connector panels or flaps 22 and 24 joined to theinner and outer surfaces thereof. They are spaced apart by means of asegment of the ring 20, a

and each panel is in the shape of a section of a cylinder. The innerpanel 22 is shorter and narrower than panel 24, which is the outer panelsince they extend circumferentially by the same amount less than The twopane-ls cooperate to form oppositely opening pockets 2'6 and 28 Withinwhich to accept portions of adjacent tiles 14. The segment 30 of ringZtl with respect to which the panels are pivotally deformed toaccommodate pivotal separation of the tiles, is fixed to the panels 22and 24, as by being made integral or cementing or stapling or otherwisejoining. The ring 30 thus constitutes a stop or an abutment againstwhich the adjacent end surfaces of adjacent tiles 14 bear.

FIGURE 5 illustrates a modification of the spacer. Spacer 18a isidentical to spacer 18 with the exception that ring Zita is open at aportion thereof diametrically opposite to that portion to which panels24:: and 26a are secured. This will leave an opening at the bottom ofthe tile line and is particularly adaptable for drain tile used forconducting subsurface water to a remote location, for instance when laidon a gravel bed. Further, the open ring construction in spacer 18a is,perhaps, slightly easier to apply and is adjustabe so that it may beused with different diameter tiles, for instance three or four inchtiles.

In use, the spacer 18 or 13a or other spacers within the purview of theinvention are connected to adjacent ends of adjacent tiles as shown inFIGURE 4. The tiles are pushed into the opening 12 one at a time'with asingle spacer 18 or 18a at the junctures of the tiles.

When connecting the tiles to the spacers, the adjacent ends of the tilesare simply slipped into the open ended and open sided pockets 26 and 28and the inherent flexibility of the material from which the spacer 18 orspacer 18a is constructed forms a hinge connection between adjacenttiles.

Although a predominantly bituminous substance is mentioned as apreference for the construction of the to the exact construction andoperation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitablemodifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within thescope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a tile line adapted to be inserted for subsoil use from thesurface of the ground, the combination of a plurality of rigid tiles andinterconnecting spacers each spacer being constructed of flexiblyresilient material and constituting a hinge joint between tiles so thatthe tiles may be pushed around curves, said spacer having an arcuateresiliently bendable outer panel fitting over and frictionally engagingthe outer surface of a portion of adjacent spaced tiles and wheninserted in the ground the panel being located upwardly with referenceto the lower surface of the tile to form a shield, said spacer including1 a second resiliently bendable inner panel parallel to and in closeproximity to said outer panel and cooperating with said outer panel toform a pair of oppositely opening flexibly resilient pockets Withinwhich to accommodate 3 circumferentially about said adjacent tiles byless than 180.

2. In a tile line adapted to be inserted for subsoil use from thesuriace of the ground, the combination of a plurality of rigid tiles andinterconnecting spacers each spacer being constructed of flexiblyresilient material and constituting a hinge joint between tiles so thatthe tiles may be pushed around curves, said spacer having an arcuateresiliently bendable outer panel fitting over the outer surface of aportion of adjacent tiles and when inserted in the ground the panelbeing located upwardly with reference to the lower surface of the tileto form a shield, said spacer including a second arcuate resilientlybendable panel parallel to and in close proximity to said outer paneland cooperating with said outer panel to form a pair of oppositelyopening flexibly resilient pockets within which to accommodate theadjacent ends of adjacent tiles, said second panel fitting against theinner surface of a portion of said adjacent tiles, a ring having aportion thereof located between said panels and constituting an abutmentfor the adjacent edges of adjacent tiles, said panels extendingcircumferentially of said tiles by less than 180.

3. The combination of claim 2 wherein said ring is endless.

4. The combination of claim 2 wherein said ring is open whereby saidring is adjustable to diiferent effective diameters.

5. A positioner and spacer for the confronting ends of adjacent draintiles in a line of tiles, also adapted to function as a hinge jointbetween said adjacent tiles comprising, a spacer ring adapted to befitted between said confronting ends and a flexibly resilient arcuateflap adapted to be superimposed upon and frictionally engage the outersurface of a segmental portion of adjacent tiles, said flap beingdisposed on and secured to a segmental portion of the outer surface ofsaid ring, a second flexibly resilient arcuate flap secured to the innersurface of said segmental portion of said ring, to thereby form a pairof oppositely opening pockets adapted to receive segmental portions ofsaid confronting ends of adjacent tiles for frictional engagementthereof and to accommodate pivotal separation of the adjacent tiles inone plane, said first recited ilap being separably secured to said ringand extending less than one-half the distance around said ring, saidsecond flap also being separably secured to said ring and extending lessthan one-half the distance around said ring.

6. The combination of a pair of rigid tubular tiles and aninterconnecting spacer, comprising, spacing means disposed betweenadjacent confronting ends of said tiles for spacing thereof in axialalignment with each other, pivotally deformable, arcuate connectingmeans secured to said spacing means on opposite radial Sides of saidconfronting ends of the tiles and extending circumferentially thereaboutby a limited amount to restrict pivotal separation of the tiles to oneplane and prevent axial separation therebctween, said arcuate, pivotallydeformable connecting means comprises a radially outer shield and aradially inner panel, said shield and panel extending axially betweensaid tiles and circumferentially thereabout by less than in order toaccommodate pivotal separation in said one plane.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein said shield is made of a rootrepelling material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS129,405 Hale July 16, 1872 1,098,426 Cochrane June 2, 1914 1,518,014Steen Dec. 2, 1924 2,422,582 Milliken June 17, 1947 2,470,359 McLean May17, 1949 2,830,548 McElvany Apr. 15, 1958 2,876,717 Tetyak Mar. 10, 19591 i l l y s-e N-Mm

6. THE COMBINATION OF A PAIR OF RIGID TUBULAR TILES AND ANINTERCONNECTING SPACER, COMPRISING, SPACING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEENADJACENT CONFRONTING ENDS OF SAID TILES FOR SPACING THEREOF IN AXIALALIGNMENT WITH EACH OTHER, PIVOTALLY DEFORMABLE, ARCUATE CONNECTINGMEANS SECURED TO SAID SPACING MEANS ON OPPOSITE RADIAL SIDES OF SAIDCONFRONTING ENDS OF THE TILES AND EXTENDING CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THEREABOUTBY A LIMITED AMOUNT TO RESTRICT PIVOTAL SEPARATION OF THE TILES TO ONEPLANE AND PREVENT AXIAL SEPARATION THEREBETWEEN, SAID ARCUATE, PIVOTALLYDEFORMABLE CONNECTING MEANS COMPRISES A RADIALLY OUTER SHIELD AND ARADIALLY INNER PANEL, SAID SHIELD AND PANEL EXTENDING AXIALLY BETWEENSAID TILES AND CIRCUMFERENTIALLY THEREABOUT BY LESS THAN 180* IN ORDERTO ACCOMMODATE PIVOTAL SEPARATION IN SAID ONE PLANE.